After Iowa, Clinton and her aides seemed resigned to a second straight setback. But polling place interviews showed that female voters—who deserted her last week—returned to her column in New Hampshire column. She also was winning handily among registered Democrats. Obama led her by an even larger margin among independents, but he suffered from a falloff in turnout among young voters compared with Iowa.
Word of Clinton’s triumph set off a raucous celebration among her supporters at a hotel in Manchester—gathered there to celebrate a New Hampshire primary every bit as surprising as the one 16 years ago that allowed a young Bill Clinton to proclaim himself “the comeback kid.”
I did warn you that setback and glorious comeback made for a more inspiring story than a long and boring coronational march, didn’t I? However, I was admittedly expecting it her “comeback” to take place after New Hampshire, not in it. I guess the machine got a little worried at how far the stalking horse was getting ahead of the winner. There will be a lot of talk about how her crying made the difference, but don’t buy it. That’s just the plot hook and it’s a lame one at that.
Another factor that should have been kept in mind is that the number of Democrats willing to vote against a half-black candidate like the Magic Negro was always going to be higher than the polls report when the vote takes place in private – like New Hampshire – than in public – like Iowa.
It’s also disappointing, though not the least bit surprising, to see that ten percent appears to be the ceiling on Republicans genuinely interested in smaller government. So be it.
The OC adds his similarly cynical take on the matter:
As I expected, they’re using the 1992 script again. “Counted out after her stunning loss in Iowa and seemingly fading in the polls, Clinton dug deep into her reserves of courage and inner strength and fought her way back to the top in New Hampshire.”
The peons love come-from-behind victory stories, doncha know.
I still hold by my earlier prognostication: that she’s got some great dirt on Obama that she’s just waiting for the perfect moment to deliver. Expect the coup de grace to fall on Sunday, February 3 (two days before Super Duper Tuesday), and expect it to be delivered by the always reliable Clinton henchmen at “60 Minutes.”